Energy

Received a Better Bricks award for improvements to energy efficiency which were achieved through innovative performance contracting resulting in:

Changed 52 miles of fluorescent bulbs, 400 toilets and many other conversions. These changes resulted in an annual cost avoidance of nearly $400,000.

Reduced electrical use by 19.3% (7,300,000 kW per year).

Reduced Carbon Dioxide emissions by 83,000,000 pounds per year

Reduced natural gas consumption by 50%

Central Energy Management System

Expanded building automating systems for central control and remote building management to reduce utilities when buildings are not occupied. This resulted in a 16% reduction in utility use or $300,000 cost avoidance per year.

Building level metering – allows web based feedback on energy use to building users growing awareness of impact of individual behavior on energy consumption.

Geothermal – Every new building is designed to accommodate future geothermal heating from the city. Buildings undergoing a major remodel are also being prepared to accept geothermal heating.

Transportation

Bus passes are provided free to Boise State faculty, staff, and students during spring and fall semesters. Student enrollment increased last year around 1.5% and bus ridership increased 8.2%. Since 2003, campus ridership has increased 44%.

A free shuttle serves the campus and apartment complexes near the campus. The result is fewer intra-campus trips made in vehicles.

New car pool efforts included more localized ride matching, guaranteed ride home for when emergencies occur, and carpool parking spaces placed in the most desirable areas.

Awards of over $3,000,000 in transportation grants in the last 5 years are used to purchase shuttles, build bus shelters and build a transit center. An additional $1,000,000 grant has been submitted to develop the Elder Street park and ride.

Bike Barn – Boise State operates 2 bike barns. One located in the Kinesiology Annex building, the facility, believed to be the first of its kind on a northwest college campus, provides a locked indoor bike storage facility, showers, lockers and dry cleaning service. The other is located in the Brady Garage.

Post “Clean Air Zone” signs around campus to remind delivery trucks to turn off their engines near fresh air intakes.

Increasing the number of small gas and electric utility vehicles in fleet to eliminate large vehicle emissions.

Paper

The BroncoPrint initiative reduced paper use in the student computer labs by 42% and reduced the amount of paper recycled by more than 90%. Students are being more selective in what they print and printing only what they need.

Boise State has lead Idaho state government in asking for and receiving the first state purchasing contract for products that contain a minimum of 30 percent post-consumer recycled materials. Products include paper towels, toilet paper and copy paper.

Research

Energy Policy – Boise State researchers are part of a statewide consortium, The Energy Policy Institute, charged with determining Idaho’s best energy options for the future.

Geothermal – Boise State is part of the Intermountain West Geothermal Consortium, comprised of members from academic institutions in Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Oregon and from the Idaho National Laboratory. Members conduct geothermal research throughout the West in order to fully and economically utilize geothermal resources.

Global Warming – Researchers in Boise State’s Department of Geosciences are looking at the processes involved in climate change across the globe, while economics professor Siân Mooney studies the impact of climate change on agriculture and ways to offset these impacts. In addition, several new classes have been developed across the curriculum to address climate change issues.

Wind Energy – The Boise State College of Engineering received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to fund wind energy research. The goal of the project is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel while also contributing to the development of a local wind energy economic cluster.